Former Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard discussed touring with KISS in a new Full In Bloom interview. Gene Simmons Drops Drug Bombshell To KISS Fans.
“You know, I’d be sitting with [KISS singer/guitarist] Paul Stanley, going ‘Wow, this guy, really, he thinks he’s god’s gift… Give it a break, man, don’t tell me how great you are. You don’t see me doing that, we’re all here together…’
“And Gene was the same way, he just felt the need to act superior, to sound superior – I don’t know, what is that? Why do people do that?
“Ronnie Dio, some weird thing happened with Tony Iommi [when BOC was touring with Black Sabbath], but I never felt like those guys felt like they were superior to anybody, I never got the same feeling.
“There were bad experiences with good people but with KISS, it was more of the opposite. Good experiences with bad people.
“I’ll tell you the craziest thing. We had this roadie – he could go get stuff for us or he could make phone calls and whatnot. We were recording at the Record Plant, and KISS was there.
“And he [the roadie] was downstairs, he’d gone down to get somebody’s Coca-Cola or something, and Gene Simmons comes in, and he’s making his way through the whole throng of fans, and he goes, ‘Chaim, Chai], why don’t you tell them your real name [Gene’s real name is Chaim Witz]? Come on, tell them!’
“And so what happened was, he [Gene] chased him [the roadie] into the building, and of course, the roadie came up the elevator and came up to the studio where we were, and Gene missed the elevator, so he took the next one.
“So Ron jumps out the elevator and says ‘You got to hide me, Gene Simmons is going to kill me! I called him Chaim in front of his fans!’ Like, ‘Ron, just take it easy!’
“He [Gene] comes up ‘Where is he?!’ We’re like, ‘Gene, come on…’ He says, ‘He was insulting me!’ I said, ‘Oh, really? You are insulted when you’re called Chaim? Is that what you would say to your parents?’
“He’s like, ‘Oh, shut up!’ Yeah, that was rich. I mean, I think it was a very entertaining show, I liked it, but yeah, he’s a jerk.”
